In recent years the development and manufacture of electronic devices using a touch screen as the human input interface has grown exponentially. Multi-touch mobile phones and handheld devices are becoming ever popular. The new multi-touch capacitive touch screen is quickly becoming the dominant type of technology used by manufacturers of these devices, as can be seen with the success of Apple Computer's iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. Many other manufacturers have also adopted the use of multi-touch capacitive touch screens as to enable human interface without need of a stylus, keyboard or mouse. Touch screens also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as the personal digital assistant (PDA), satellite navigation devices, mobile phones, video games, automatic teller machines (ATMs) and even light switches. However, the user cannot interface with these multi-touch devices, as intended, when the user of the device is wearing gloves or is otherwise unable to touch the screen with their skin. This can particularly be a problem in, for example, northern or southern hemisphere countries when the weather is colder. However, even for short periods of cold weather, like during skiing, the operation of touch mobile devices is a problem. Additionally, certain occupations require or suggest the use of gloves to protect the hands from injuries, such as contractors, product delivery drivers, military and public safety personnel. There are also certain transportation and recreational activities where the use of gloves might be used, such as, golfers, motorcycle riders and gardeners, who desire to operate their touch devices.
A popular form of the touch device includes a touch screen which operates in a capacitive mode. For the capacitive system, a layer that stores electrical charge is placed on the glass panel of the monitor of the touch screen devices. This is a form of capacitive coupling between the user and the capacitive touch screen. This decrease is measured by circuits located at each corner of the monitor. A processor of the touch screen device calculates, from the relative differences in charge at each corner, exactly where the touch event took place and then relays that information to the touch-screen driver software.
The problem surrounds the fact that capacitive touch screens rely upon an electrical response (transfer of charge or capacitive coupling) from or to the user's body. Gloves and prosthetic devices, unsurprisingly, prevent the electrical charge from passing through to the screen. Therefore, one is required to remove a glove whenever activating the device, like making a phone call, sending a text a message, checking email, or operating any other touch screen device.
There is a need for a material that provides a user with the typical benefits provided by gloves, but additionally allows the user to operate a touch-screen device without having to remove the glove or otherwise put their skin in contact with the touch screen. More particularly to enable the material, itself, to capacitively couple with touch screen devices by use of an electrostatic discharge enabling interaction with such devices without the need of human skin contact for such capacitive coupling. Such a material would allow someone who might have lost a finger, hand or limb and has a prosthetic in its place to use touch screen devices as modern prosthetics are not designed to enable capacitive coupling to these capacitive touch screens.
Various attempts have been made to produce hand protection that allows interaction of such devices without removing the gloves. None of these solutions provide sufficient protection from chemicals, weather or other potentially harmful situations, nor allow use of the ten finger gesturing capabilities of the newer touch screens.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new type of performance leather that replicates the human touch, without the actually need to capacitively couple to the human body, in order to enable the use of these devices without having to remove the glove.